Railway car truck



A ril 16, 1935. G. A. SUCKFIELD RAILWAY CAR TRUCK Filed Jan. 10, 1953 2SheetsSheet l p l 1935. ca; A. SUCKFIELD 1,997,662

RAILWAY CAR TRUCK Filed Jan. 10, 1955 2 SheetsSheet 2 INVENTOR PatentedApr. 16, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Pressed Steel Car Company,McKees Rocks,

Pa.,'a corporation of New Jersey Application January 10, 1933, SerialNo. 651,009

. 7 Claims.

10 larities in the tracks, due to vertical or lateral variations of therails.

Another object of my invention is to allow the transom to partiallyrevolve within the side frame in such a manner that the side frame mayrock, due to any vertical variances in the tracks, without transmittingany undue torsion to the transom.

A further object of my invention is to resiliently support the bolsterwithin the transom in order that the bolster as well as the car which issupported thereon may have lateral and vertical movement.

Other objects will become apparent to those skilled in the art from thesucceeding description and the accompanying drawings which form a partof the present description, in which Fig. 1 shows in plan, half of thetruck of the present invention, it being understood that the truck issymmetrical about its longitudinal center.

30 Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the truck shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional viewtaken along line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken along line 4-4 of Fig. 1 and shows moreclearly the cooperating elements of the transom and side frame.

Referring now in detail to the drawings where like reference charactersdesignate like parts, the truck is generally designated as l. Theintegrally east side frame 2 consists of journal boxes 3, compressionmember 4, tension member 5 and column member 6. The compression member 4and tension member 5 are preferably of channel form except for theportions at and adjacent to the vertical center of the side frame wherethey are preferably tubular in section to add strength and rigidity tothe side frame mem ber 2. The web portions of the tension member 5 andcompression member 4 are secured at their extremities to the journalboxes 3 and the flanges 1 of the tension member merge with the flanges 8of the compression member 4 adjacent the journal boxes. The tubular orlowermost portlon 9 of the tension member 5 being arcuated for. thepurpose hereinafter set forth.

the ends of the transom. The lower portions of the web In of thechanneled column members 6 are arcuated continuations. of the upper webof the tubular portion 9 of the tension member 5 thus forming a yoke orcradle so as to support a transom thereon and to. permit the transom torock within the side frame. The upper portion of the webs IU of themembers 6 diverge outwardly and merge with the lower web of theintermediate tubular portion of the compression meniber 4. Shoulders I2on the web portions ll! of the column members 6 project inwardly of theopening formed between the members 6 and serve as abutments for thetransom, limiting the radial movement thereof.

Cradled within the above described opening 6) formed in the side frame 2is a unitary transom 43 which ties together the two oppositely disposedside frames. The transom comprises end members l4 and spaced sidemembers IS. The ends I 4 have their lower portion arcuated to coincidewith the arcuated contour formed by the tension'member 5 and columns 5,while the side walls I! of the ends l4 above the radial center aresubstantially parallel to the vertical center of the truck. Lugs [6project downwardly of the transom ends M to guide and retain the transomwithin the side frame. Additional lugs iii are provided on the transomends adjacent the top thereof to embrace the shoulders l2 of the column6 to aid in retaining the transom within the side frame. The sidemembers l5, which are preferably of tubular form, are employedintermediate the ends M to form the unitary transom l3 and are suitablyspaced to allow the free vertical and transverse movement of bolster 23there- 40 between. Thus, while the transom is carried by and in slidingcontact with the cradle formed within the side frame 2, the verticalside walls of the transom and the shoulders on the column menfeersprovide wedge shaped openings therebetween, which openings permitlimited radial movement of the transom within the side frame.

It will be noted that in the event a truck embodying the features of myinvention is traveling over a track that is not in vertical alignment,the side frames will rock, within certain limits provided by thewedge-shaped opening between the upper portion of the transom ends andthe column members, thereby eliminating any undue torsion within thetransom and allowing the transom to retain its vertical position as wellas permit the bolster to remain in the same horizontal plane.

' Adjacent the ends of the side members lB-ll cradles I! are placed forthe reception of pins 20 which support the swinging bars 2| that projectthrough openings 22 in the members l5. These bars 2| permitting lateralmotion of the bolster 22 are connected together at their lowerextremities by a bar 24 upon which is mounted a chair 25 to support thespring plank 26 and bolster 23. Elliptical springs 21 permittingvertical movement of the bolster 23 are mounted upon the spring plankdirectly above the bar 24 and chair 25 and secured thereon by plates 20abutting the bands 29, which bands bind together the lower portion ofthe elliptical spring 21. A recess 30 formed on the under part of thebolster 23 engages the band Ii, securing the top portion of theelliptical spring together thereby retaining the bolster upon the spring21. To the vertical wing portions 32 at the ends of the bolster aresecured wearing plates 23 in juxtaposition to similar wear plates 34 onthe inner walls of the tubular members lS-IB of the transom I3 toreceive the bufllng between the bolster and transom.

Having thus described the invention what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a railway car truck, in combination, a pair of oppositely disposedside frames and a connecting transom member, said side frames havingtheir tension member arcuated at their lower portion, diverging columnmembers tying the tension and compression members together and ,mergingwith the tension member to form an opening and a cradle, shouldersprojecting inwardly from said column members; the ends of the transommember occupying said opening and resting in said cradle, lugs on thearcuated portion of the ends engaging the tension member and lugsadjacent the tops of said ends embracing said shoulders.

2. In a car truck, in combination, a transom member having integral endbearing portions comprising an arcuate base and flat side walls, a sideframe supporting each end of the transom and having a central openingcomprising an arcuate bearing for the transom and diverging side wallsof greater vertical height than the transom ends, which height includesdepending flanges on the transom embracing the side frame.

3. In a car truck, in combination, a rigid transom having a bifurcatedbody portion and hollow end portions of general U-shape, spaced flangesdepending from the end portions, side frames having a generally U-shapedcentral window opening receiving the transom ends, the arms of the Udiverging upwardly from between the said transom flanges in spacedrelation to the transom end portions to provide an opening of greatervertical height than the transom ends.

4. In a car truck. spaced side frames having central openings comprisinga bottom wall and upwardly extending side walls, the side walls beingoffset adjacent the upper edges thereof, a transom between the sideframes, end bearings on the transom of less vertical height than theside frame openings and seating in the side frame openings, saidbearings including depending flanges overyling the bottom wall of theside frame openings and laterally extending flanges overlying the sidewalls of the side frame opening and below the offset therein.

5. In a car truck, spaced side frames having central openings comprisingarcuate bottom walls and upwardly diverging side walls, a transombetween the side frames having end bearings seating in said openings,each end bearing comprising an arcuate bottom wall supported on thebottom wall of the opening and side walls extending upwardly in spacedrelation to the side walls of the opening, abutments on the walls of theside frame opening limiting movement longitudinally of the truck betweenthe side walls of the bearing and the side walls of the opening.

6. In a car truck, spaced side frames having a central opening includingan arcuate bottom wall and upwardly diverging side walls, a transomconnecting the side frames, end bearings on the transom seating in saidopenings and comprising an arcuate bottom portion having dependingflanges embracing the bottom wall of the opening and side wallsextending upwardly from the bottom portion with the upper portions ofthe bearing side walls spaced from the side frame opening side walls.

7. In a car truck, spaced side frames having central openings comprisingan arcuate bottom wall and upwardly diverging straight side walls, atransom between the side frames with end bearings seating in saidopenings, said end bearings having arcuate bottom portions resting onthe bottom walls of the side frames and side walls extending upwardlyfrom said bottom portion, the upper portions of said bearing side wallsbeing in normally spaced relation to the side walls of the frameopening.

GEORGE A. SUCKF'IELD.

